The Fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942 was more than just a military catastrophe - it was the shattering of an empire’s illusion of invincibility. As British defenses crumbled and Japanese forces swept through the city, a different kind of courage emerged from the chaos.
Amid the bombs, fires, and screams of the wounded, Australian army nurses upheld a duty that was more than just medical...it was an act of old-fashioned patriotism, a selfless devotion to country and comrades. Refusing to abandon their patients, they worked tirelessly in makeshift hospitals, tending to the broken and dying, even as enemy forces closed in.
Some, like those aboard the doomed Vyner Brooke, met brutal deaths at the hands of their captors, while others, like the six nurses on the Wah Sui, barely escaped with their lives.
Their actions embodied a time when duty to nation and fellow man was not just expected, but instinctive - when the call to serve was answered not with hesitation, but with unwavering resolve. Every man and woman, soldier and nurse, deserves to be remembered. And honoured.
The Fall of Singapore was one of the most devastating defeats for the British Empire in World War II. Often described as "Britain’s worst military disaster," it resulted in the surrender of over 130,000 Allied troops, including 15,000 Australians, to the Japanese. The swift and overwhelming Japanese victory shattered the myth of British invincibility in Asia and marked a turning point in the war.
Singapore was considered a fortress city, a vital British military base protecting the empire’s interests in Southeast Asia. The British believed it was impenetrable, primarily because of its strong naval presence and massive coastal defenses facing the south. However, the Japanese attack came from the north through Malaya (modern-day Malaysia), where defenses were much weaker. And it all started within hours of the attack on Pearl Harbour.
On the same day as the Pearl Harbour attack, Japan launched its invasion of British Malaya. Japanese forces, led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita, moved rapidly southward, outflanking British and Commonwealth troops. The British, Australians, and Indian forces fought several battles - Battle of Muar, Battle of Gemas - but were consistently outmaneuvered and forced into retreat.
By 31 January 1942, British and Commonwealth forces had withdrawn to Singapore Island, blowing up the causeway to Johor to slow the Japanese advance. The Japanese, however, launched an assault across the Johor Strait on 8 February, overwhelming Australian defenses along the northwest coast.
The 8th Australian Division, led by Major-General Gordon Bennett, defended but was pushed back as the Japanese gained control of key positions. By 13-14 February, the situation was dire: Japanese troops had taken control of key reservoirs and supplies, leading to severe water and food shortages for civilians and soldiers.
On 15 February, General Yamashita demanded an unconditional surrender. British Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, with dwindling supplies and no hope of reinforcements, surrendered. The surrender was signed at the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah.
Incidentally, in Churchill's later memoir he quotes his letter to Percival: "you must under no circumstance consider surrender..."
The Japanese occupied Singapore and renamed it Syonan-to ("Light of the South"). Thousands of prisoners of war (POWs) were sent to labour camps, including the infamous Thai-Burma Railway (Death Railway). The Sook Ching Massacre saw tens of thousands of Chinese civilians executed by the Japanese secret police (Kempeitai). Many Australian soldiers became POWs, facing horrific conditions in places like Changi Prison and Japanese work camps.
The fall of Singapore led to the Bangka Island Massacre, where Japanese troops murdered Australian nurses and wounded soldiers who had survived the sinking of the Vyner Brooke. ( More on this in an upcoming article. )
The British military's failure to defend Singapore shook confidence in British rule across Asia, inspiring independence movements in India, Malaya, and Burma. Australia, realising Britain could no longer defend it, turned to the United States for security - leading to stronger US-Australian ties. Japan now controlled a strategic base for further expansion into Indonesia, Burma, and the Pacific.
A few days earlier, on the 10th of February 1942, six Australian Army nurses from the 2/10th Australian General Hospital (AGH) boarded the Wah Sui, a makeshift hospital ship, as part of an effort to evacuate medical personnel and patients from Singapore just before the city's fall to Japanese forces.
And so it was, that by early February 1942, Singapore was under relentless Japanese attack. The 2/10th AGH had been set up at Malacca in British Malaya but was forced to relocate to Singapore in January 1942 as the Japanese advanced. The hospital, along with other Australian military medical units, was overwhelmed with casualties.
With Singapore on the verge of falling, authorities attempted to evacuate as many non-combatants, wounded soldiers, and medical staff as possible. The Wah Sui, a small passenger steamer converted into a hospital ship, was hastily prepared for evacuation. However, the situation was chaotic, and space was extremely limited.
Sister Pearl Mittelheuser and Staff Nurse Thelma Bell of the 2/10th Australian General Hospital (AGH) were told by Matron Dot Paschke that one of them would have to leave that day on an evacuation ship with wounded 8th Division soldiers. They flipped a coin, and Thelma " won ".
Thelma was one of six 2/10th AGH nurses chosen by Matron Paschke to evacuate. 26-year-old Staff Nurse Mary "Molly" Campbell, was also in the group, which included Staff Nurses Veronica Dwyer (34), Iva Grigg (also 34 ), Violet Haig (30), and the eldest, 35-year-old Sister Aileen Irving.
Later that day, the six nurses were transported by ambulance to Keppel Harbour, where they boarded a makeshift hospital ship - the Wah Sui.
The Wah Sui was a small, flat-bottomed river boat hastily converted into a makeshift hospital ship. It was later described as "a crazy old tub" by Thelma Bell and "no larger than a Manly ferry steamer" by Aileen Irving.
The Wah Sui was eventually returned to Hong Kong from where she was originally working, and sailed as a Hong Kong ferry.
On 10 February, the six nurses from the 2/10th AGH, along with around 300 wounded personnel. were ordered onto the Wah Sui. The conditions on board were not good, as the ship was overcrowded and had limited medical supplies. Despite this, the nurses continued treating the wounded throughout the journey.
The Wah Sui managed to depart safely and sailed towards Batavia (now Jakarta), Dutch East Indies, and eventually reached Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The nurses and patients aboard were among the lucky few to escape, as many other evacuation attempts ended in disaster.
Though painted white with red crosses, the Wah Sui was not an officially registered hospital ship, so it wasn't protected under the Hague Convention.
On board were up to 350 wounded soldiers, including around 150 Aussie troops, some RAAF men, and many Brits and Indians. They were packed in so tightly that the nurses had to step over patients to get around.
The Aussie Red Cross came aboard and supplied the nurses with essentials like soup, coffee, and bandages. On 11 February, the Wah Sui departed the wharf and moved beyond Keppel Harbour, where it then stopped. As the Wah Sui lay at anchor, Japanese aircraft bombed the harbour, destroying the docks the ship had recently departed from. That night, the burning waterfront illuminated the ship. On 12 February, the Wah Sui departed for Batavia on the northwest coast of Java, sailing in convoy with other evacuation ships. Japanese aircraft buzzed the ship, but their pilots respected the Red Cross markings and allowed the Wah Sui to continue on its way.
During the voyage, the Wah Sui encountered two burning ships one night. The captain approached to offer assistance, but no one was visible, suggesting the passengers and crew had already escaped. As the Wah Sui's crew searched the sea, a Japanese cruiser shone its searchlights on them, but again the Red Cross markings were respected, and the ship was permitted to continue. Three wounded Australian soldiers died during the voyage and were buried at sea.
The Wah Sui arrived at Tanjung Priok, the port of Batavia, on 15 February – the day Singapore fell.
After disembarking, the nurses were taken to the Princess Juliana School in Weltevreden, where they assisted Ursuline nuns who had established a medical facility.
Meanwhile, the Wah Sui's casualties were disembarked and taken to military hospitals in Batavia. Some would later be transported to Colombo, either on the Wah Sui or other ships like the Orcades.
Two weeks earlier, the Orcades, carrying 2,920 troops of the 2nd AIF, had sailed from Egypt to Australia. But it was diverted to the Netherlands East Indies after the fall of Singapore. On 16 February, the Orcades arrived at Tanjung Priok.
Arriving from the Middle East HMT Orcades early Feb 1942 with Australians onboard from the Middle East. Not all would remain in Java, but for those who did under their Commander Blackburn, their lives would never be the same. They became POWs of Japan for the next 3 1/2 years and suffer starvation, tropical illnesses, deprivation and unimaginable hardships.
The troops disembarked and were hastily formed into 'Blackforce' under Brigadier Blackburn. The 2/2nd Casualty Clearing Station, led by Lieut. Col. Dunlop, was tasked with setting up a hospital in Bandung.
The Australian nurses were evacuated from Bandung to Batavia on 21 February. They then boarded the Orcades, which sailed for Colombo on 27 February. The nurses arrived home in Australia on 14 March.
The evacuation of the six nurses aboard the Wah Sui is a small but significant episode in the desperate final days of Singapore’s defense. It highlights the courage and determination of Australian military nurses, who risked their lives to provide care under wartime conditions. Many other Australian nurses were not so lucky and became part of one of the most tragic chapters in Australian military history, as we will discuss shortly.
The Fall of Singapore remains a huge moment in Australian military history, highlighting the courage of the soldiers who fought bravely despite being outnumbered and outgunned. It also marks a turning point in Australia’s shift away from reliance on Britain towards a closer alliance with the United States.
Meanwhile, in Australia today, shocking footage has emerged of a pair of Bankstown Hospital medical professionals, a man claiming to be a doctor alongside a woman who appears to be a nurse, spewing vile antisemitic hatred and making horrifying admissions. In a disturbing online video chat, he told an Israeli man that he has killed Israeli patients and he would do it again.
What have we become?
🚨 Australian Doctors Caught on Video Admitting Israelis Were Killed in Their Hospital
— Shirion Collective (@ShirionOrg) February 11, 2025
⚠️ Shocking Footage Shows Doctors Admitting to Murder
For heaven’s sake, please share this.
In a now-viral video, an Israeli joins a live chat, only to find himself face-to-face with two… pic.twitter.com/lX3r48Ek36
News briefing in Australia! Thank you to everyone who sent information and took action and called!
— Shirion Collective (@ShirionOrg) February 12, 2025
🎥 @therealrukshan pic.twitter.com/AZDqqY7EyH
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